Tuesday, March 03, 2009

What, no clowns?

A bitch is working on my second cup of coffee (bless the gods) and watching the Today Show…a special edition of the Today Show…Matt Lauer live at the New York Stock Exchange much like he’d be ‘on scene’ for a natural disaster.

Daaaaaaaaamn!

They open up with a live shot of the horrific scene (in this case, the freakishly quiet almost vacant floor of the NYSE).

Lauer explains why he is there (“oh, the humanity!!) and lists off the carnage (the market has sunk to a 12 year low).

Then he brings in the sorta-experts…Jim ‘I’m a heart attack waiting to happen’ Mad Money Kramer and Erin “if this crazy motherfucker yells one more time I’m going to drop him right here on national television’ Burnett…and lets them discuss/debate/argue/yell/agree to disagree and ultimately say nothing of substance about the economy and what we can expect out of the markets today.

Moving fast, because Gawd forbid they take time to actually discuss a damn thing, Lauer tosses a lateral to Chuck Todd…who explores the Obama administration’s economic plan by discussing the latest cabinet nominee with a tax problem in less than 60 seconds.

Somehow the action swerves further off course to feature a smidge of the Rush v. Steele ‘does it matter who is driving the bus when the fucker is out of gas?’ flare up.

But before a bitch can even process how strange that shit is there’s Meredith V. chatting with Tavis Smiley about political accountability and his new book.

Pause...consider...continue.

Lawd, there really should be a law against Fellini-esque morning television.

I heard that shit too. I too marveled/giggled at the irony of Lauer at the scene of a disaster.

I missed the politician with a tax problem. I think I went back to bed to avoid my own immediate and impending disasters.

For me though.. I've been in the spot other folk are now in for about a year. I've been saying shit was tough, weren't no jobs. It's the little people who get fucked first. Does it mean we'll be the first to get out of the hole?

I only watch the Entertainment Tonight morning edition when they have midget wrestling or when they talk about the Garlic Festival in Cali. Although I am guilty of taking a peek now and then to see how Al's doing with the weight thing, but just a peek.

I don't know if I ever told you this but 2 or 3 years ago I parked my truck with the ANGRY BLACK BITCH BUMPER STICKER on it across the street from my house, in front of the house of a black lady who lives on my block (not as social commentary but merely because that's where the open space was). She DID NOT LIKE THAT BUMPER STICKER one bit and covered it up with MASKING TAPE. I pulled off the tape after I moved my vehicle and continued to proudly display the sticker for another few years until my truck finally gave up the ghost (Though I know that someone who works at a landfill somewhere is still enjoying it!).

These morning shows used to be part of the network news divisions.That has morphed over time into infotainmment divisions.Why, pray tell, should we be informed about American Idol on any of these programs? But we are.When media consolidated in the 80's and 90's some brilliant exec discovered the synergy of cross promotion. Therefore NBC has to highlight CNBC,MSNBC,et al.along with the book division and GE related public relations.Disney has ABC and Newscorp. has Fox.I rue the day we relaxed our rules to assist Rupert Murdoch in his ambitions.

"Lawd, there really should be a law against Fellini-esque morning television."

thank gawd someone has finally said it!

worst for me, this a.m., was robin meade perhaps unintentionally indicating that of the 4 likely drowned men only the 2 who were professional athletes mattered and one, now found, was disappointing since he wasn't a 'famous' one.